Quick-opening safety switch



Aug. 2s, m 1,506,087

J. $A3H53 I EENING SAFETY SWITCH Filed Jam. 25 1922 wrramygr v Safety Switches,

EQElEPH 3.613218 Q; HARQET'FQRI), CDNNJECTXCUT.

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] itlmown the, L JosEPH Seems, a citison of the United States, residing at Hart ford, in the county of Hartford and State i Gonnccticut, have invented s new and useful Improvement in Quick-Opening of which the following is e specification. n e fl'lhis invention relates to the operating 10: mechanism of quick opening electric 11' switches of thesefety type. Switches of thistypeere' enclosed in metellic boxes and memorable. conductors are commonly en geged with. and disengaged from the fixed lbfcontects by means of crank spindles that ex tend through the box walls and on the outside have operating handles.

llhe object of thepresent invention is to ,provide a. very sin1ple,.cheep, durable and fillefiicienh .opcrsting mechanism for such switches Which will throw the movable con- Yduct'ors very quickly when the handle is turned for opening'the circuit and which is so constructed that the parts Iney he se cur-e15 locked when the circuit is open.

This object is attained by an orgenize 'tioh which has but three essential elements, the crank spindle, the operating; handle mounted on end having a lost motion en gugement directly, With the spindle, and e spring connected between the spindle and handlcin such manner that its normal ten-- sioni holds .thchendle firmly and when the handle is turned for opening; the oircuitils 3h. tension is increased as the lost motion is tekenup so that when the handle positively engages and turns the spindle and starts the lnovuble conductors from the fixed con tects, the spring will. then act to throw the lilovel'ile conductors open very quickly. For locking the. parts the hendle hub is recessed and perforated plate is lined to the box so as to extend over the huh with the open lugs. in the parts in such relation that u w lock or soul may he passed tlmmghtlu-un and the handle hub prevented from turning. In the accompanying drawings Figure l shows a. plan of a selfety switch, "Willi the cover omitted. provided. with an operating mechanism which embodies illis invention. Fig. is a section on the dotted line 2-2 Git-Fig. 1. Fig; 3 is: an. elevation looking toward the hendle sale of the hon Fig. l

oil la-i'g'er scale, shows the connection he tween theorem spindle and thehandle huh.

fswitch base '2 of the comet-enemies scene's swrrcn.

Application filed January Q5, 1922. Serial No. 531,589.

Fig. 5 is a. section. on the dotted line 5+5 on 4E. dis a section showing an equivalent em'engement of the connecting spring. Fig. 7 is a; view looking toward the side of the modified form.

The loox 1 usually made from sheet metal may be any desired size and shape' The usual insulating material is shown as festenedto the bottom of the box and mounted on this base there are indicated two fixed terminal contacts 3 and two pivoted conductors 4 of common form, the otter being connected with enclosed fuses 5 in a. well known manner. Attached to the movable conductors are insulating plates 6 that have notches 7 through which the crank. 5 indie 8 passes. One' end'of the crank spin is is pivotelly mounted invthe sidewall 9 of the box and the other end. extends through the side Wall 10 and a supporting plate 11 that is fixed to the outside of this Well. l

The hub 12 of the handle 13 is rotatably on the outer end of the spindle be tween the side Wall of the box and the plate 8 fixed thereto. The handle huh extends lhrough the hos: well and on the interior it has a redial slot 14 through which the bent arm 15 of the crank spindle passes; The alls 16 end 17 of the slot are some distance sport but are adapted to be engaged with the crank spindle when the handle is turned a suflicient distance, in other words there is a. lost motion connection between the handle huh and the bent crank erm of the spindle so that While the handle is loosely consriected with the spindle it will engage and. rotate the spindle when turned for enough to take up the lost motion.

lo the organization first illustrated a spiral spiring is passed. uround the handle huh and one end is fastened to' the hub by a. screw 19 and the other end is looped around the spindle. This spring is arranged so as to normally hold the Well 16 of the slot in the handle hub in eu-agement with the spindle. The tension 01 the spring retains the handle firmly in the position which it occupies. The parts are shown in the drfiwings with the circuit closed. When the handle is turned for opening the circuit the friction of the engagement of the movable conductors with the fixed contacts holds the former and the crank spindle While the wall p 1.6 oi the handle hub is moving away from 110 the spindle and the wall 17 is movin toward the spindle. During this period the tension of the spring is being increased. When the handle has been turned so that the wall 17 engages the spindle, the spindle is positively turned so as to start the movable conductors from the fixed contacts. Aftor the movable conductors have been started 4 the spring throws the movable contacts open violently and at the same time turns the spindle back against the wall 16 of the hub.

Instead of placing the spring around the outside of the handle hub, as above set forth, of the hub. "In this case a socket 20 is formed in the outer side of the hub and a coiled spring 21 placed therein with one end of the spring extending into a radial slot 22 in the hub and the other end extending into a (Ila-metrical slot 23 in the end of the spindle. The action or" the spring in this case is the some as previously described.

The supporting plate fastened to the outside of the box may be provided with perforations 24 and the outer side of the handle hub may be provided with grooves 25, the perforations and grooves being so located that when the switch is opened they coincide and allow the insertion through them of the loop of a lock or seal. A perforated disk 26 may be located between the hub and the plate and fastened to the hub to make the locking of the parts more secure.

The invention clcimed is 1. A. switch mechanism comprisin" a casing, a spindle, a handle hub rotatub on the s indle and extending through the side wal of the casing, and having-a lost motion engagement with a bent ortion of' the spindle within the casing, an a spring connected between the handle hub and the spindle, whereby when the handle is turned the spring is first made tense, then the hub positively engages directly with and moves the spindle, and finally the spring throws the spindle.

2. A switch mechanism comprising '2. casing, a crank spindle extendin. through the casing, a. handle hub rotatab y fitted upon and having a lost motion but positive engagement with the crank spindle within the casing, and a spring connected to the handle hub and the spindle, whereby when the hub is turned the spring is tensioned and then the hub positively engages and turns the spindle.

3. A switch operating mechanism comprising a crank spindle, a handle hub rotatably fitted upon the crank spindle and having a lost motion eng'aguncnt with a bent portion thereof, and a spring extending around the handle hub and having one and, fastened thereto and the other and attached to the spindle.

' A switch operating mechanism for safety switches com rising a crank spindle, a handle hub rotatc ly fitted upon and having a lost motion positive engagement directly with the spindle, a sprin connected between the handle hub and t e spindle, and means for locking the hub against movement.

5. The combination with the enclosing case of a safety switch of a crank spindle, a handle hub rotatably mounted on the spinoils and having a. lostmotion engagement therewith, a spring connection between the handle hub and the spindle, and a plate fitted upon the end of the spindle outside of the handle hub and fastened to the case, the handle huband plate having'o nings so related that they may receive coking means. '6. The combination with the enclosing case of a safety switch, of a crank spindle extending through the wall of the case, a handle rotatably mounted on the spindle outside of and extending .into the case and having a lostmotion engagement directly with a bent portion of the crank spindle inside of the case, and a sprin connected between the handle and spind e inside of the case.

'2'. The combination with the enclosing case of a safetv switch of a spindle, a handle hub mounted on and rotatably connected with the spindle outside of the case, and a platepermanently fixed to the case and extending over said hub, said plate and hub having means whereby said plate and hub may be temporarily locked together.

8. A switch operating mechanism comprising a casing supporting a rotatably mounted switch operating crank spindle adapted to be engaged with a switching member, a handle hub extending throu h the casing, said hub and spindle having su stantially coincident axes of rotation with a direct lost motion engagement within the casing between the hub and bent section of the crank spindle and a spring with one end engaging the hub and the other end engaging the spindle.

9. An enclosed externally operated switch comprising a casing, cooperating stationary and movable switching conductors within the casing, a crank extending within the casing and engaging with the. movable conductors, a hub provided with handle means and rotatably mounted with its axis substantially coincident with the axis of the crank, said handle hub having a direct lost motion engagement with an angular section of the crank, and a spring connection between the hub and crank.

10. Au enclosed csterna ll y operated switch comprising a casing, stationary and movable switching conductors within the casio switch o ieruting means including a handle hub. av pinto extending adiacsut to snidhub,

meme? 8 said late and hub having means whereby the p ate and hub may be locked tegether to prevent the operation of the switch.

' 11. An enclosed externally operated switch 5 comprising a casing, stationary and meveble switching condueters Within the casing, a crank within the casing for actuating the movable e0nduct0rs,a handle hub engaging and adapted to move the crank, and a plate extending adjacent to said hub, said plate 10 and hub having means whereby the plate and hub may be locked together to prevent the movement of the hub.

JOSEPH SACHS. 

